Wine and Cheese

The other day I had the pleasure of visiting my friends at Testarossa Winery in Los Gatos. Molly and Leigh will take good care of you should you decide to have an event there or just go for a tasting from 11am-5pm. I will soon be posting the professional photos that took place at Testarossa in May. The already lovely and ecstatic bride and groom are enhanced even more by the rustic backgrounds outdoors at TW.

In the meantime I offer a sample of the wine and cheese colored arrangement that was inspired by the winery. The flowers that compliment and flow from the copper urn include: dahlias, pincushion protea, mini callas, super green roses, green celosia, and a few stems of dendrobium orchids.

Cheers!

San Francisco Dream Wedding Giveaway


Haute Horticulture is proud to announce this amazing contest that is the brainchild of coordinating guru Liz Guthrie of San Jose Wedding Consultants www.sanjoseweddingconsultants.com/. The floral design is headed by my mentor and friend Nancy Liu Chin http://www.nancyliuchindesigns.com/ . The vendor list includes the best of the best in the bay area ready to work together for an amazing event!
The details will be revealed as the contest unfolds, but if you are getting married in the next year and have a truly moving love story to share - why not enter and see what happens?
Here is a little bit about the SFDWG:

San Francisco is, without a doubt, one of the most romantic spots in the country, and it’s the perfect choice for this upscale destination wedding, which can be all yours! The 2010 San Francisco Dream Wedding Giveaway is more than just a wedding contest. Over 30 premier Bay Area wedding vendors are collaborating to make this once in a lifetime dream come true. They’ll work together as a team for almost a year, planning, coordinating and designing this unforgettable Wedding of the Year, for one very lucky couple in love. By implementing exquisite details and top notch products and services, this amazing wedding will definitely be worthy of platinum status.
The contest officially opens on August 4, 2009 at 7:55 a.m. PST.

Read all about it here:

Enchanted Ocean

Above is a small collage from a recent wedding collaboration with San Jose Wedding Consultants. It was inspired by the ocean and very modern compared to our last blue wedding. What amazes me the most is how every event is unique and how every bride's interpretation of her special day translates through the decor. This wedding had over a hundred of gallons of blue water to move around, but in the end the effects were worth the hard work. Thanks are owed to Monica, Sean, Eric, Amy, and Amber for helping. We couldn't have done it without you!

Bouquet of the Week

Or bi-weekly featured bouquet is a rarity in the floral industry. For two weeks out of the year peonies come in an unusual color and size. These beauties start out a bright melon color the size of a balled fist and end up a peachy delight that is the size of a large grapefruit. When making this bouquet I had to use them in their unopened state or the flowers would have been too large to hold. The peonies seem to posses a secret in this unassuming bunch. After it was untied and placed in water the secret was revealed and their size tripled!

An Aisle with Impact


After Monica and I created a sample for a client, Sean St.Cin (who has photographed numerous HH occasions) and I were able to capture come great images of a single wreath on a shepherd's hook. The concept was that there would be several of these placed on the wedding aisle that would later be used for centerpieces. We also had some leftover rose petals and decided to make the "H" for Haute Horticulture. Despite the wind the "H" stayed intact, but I wouldn't recommend an outdoor grass monogram unless the wind is very light on a wedding day!

Menlo School Graduation Banquet

Last Monday was my first time visiting the campus of Menlo College. This was the location for this year's Menlo School graduation banquet in honor of all the 140 high school graduates and their families. Haute Horticulture was asked to provide the centerpieces for this large event and I thoroughly enjoyed working in tandem with Cathy Chen (Dean of the Senior Class), the parent volunteers, and the amazing Monica Kau to get this party full of flowers!

The centerpieces were divided into two designs. The first was a composite made up of 5 cobalt glass cubes with golden flowers on top. This reflected the gold and blue Menlo school colors. The second design was the Menlo "M" logo made completely of blue dyed roses and yellow carnations in a circular dish. It looked pretty wild from above!
My favorite design, however, was a bit unusual and adorned the welcome table as students came into the entrance of the gym. I had created a canvas with flowers that read, "09" and a paint can filled with blue rose petals as to appear that the flower canvas was painted with petals. I also made another composite arrangement connected with lily grass and full of movement.

All in all it was both fun, easy, and rewarding to work for Menlo and I look forward to a future relationship with the school. I must also thank Kathy Goodman from Well Rehearsed for suggesting Haute Horticulture for this unusual decor.

Enjoy the photos full of school spirit!
Give me an "M"!

-Karin

Blue and Green Wedding

What happens when you have an Irish bride with a groom that has Scottish Pride? A rolling green outdoor wedding tucked away in the hills of Moraga. What a perfect day (and we all fretted over the weather all week)! The groom and best man wore a kilt, the bride was beautiful and glowing, and the entire day was perfection from beginning to end. I couldn't ask for a better event.

Thanks to vendors like Miraglia Catering http://www.cateringandmore.com/ , coordinator Liz Guthrie http://www.sanjoseweddingconsultants.com/, and a little help from my friends Kiren and Eric, the wedding went off without a hiccup.
See for yourself!

-Karin

Bouquet of the Week


Okay, Okay. This one's a little late. I have been working so hard since the wedding season started that I have not blogged as much as usual. Our bouquet of the week is from Saturday's wedding at Hacienda De Las Flores in Moraga, CA. It is an hour from San Jose, but a very rare and beautiful place. Every inch of the park grounds seems to be built for outdoor events and photographs like a dream! The bride loves roses and here she is getting ready for her big day!

This bouquet is composed mainly of large white Heiress roses with a splash of Super Green roses and some Bella Donna blue Delphinium.

Ireland and Italy Winery Wedding: Part 2




I hope everyone had a wonderful and meaningful Memorial Day.
Here are a few amateur photos from last weekend's buffet table. The caterer had a new twist on buffets in that he refused to use chafing dishes. The food was not hot, but was extra juicy and flavorful. I was apprehensive at first, but we didn't even miss the heat once we got a taste! Out of this world!! Warning: you may get hungry!
For more info contact: Laurie Yee: Creativechef@comcast.net or 408-422-7673.
Now it's time to get ready for the green and blue garden wedding in Moraga. The weather looks like it will be supremely nice for the happy couple. More to come....

-Karin